Girdle gripping surface

ABSTRACT

A girdle friction or gripping surface for stockings, panty hose or the like, the surface being applied directly to the leg portion surfaces bounding the garment leg openings rather than being applied to lace or other fabric which is sewn to the completed garment. The friction surface, in a preferred embodiment, consists of a dispersion of small mass or deposits of latex, elastomeric or plastic material which project through the stocking interstices and, in this manner, prevent the stockings from falling.

United States Patent Becker et al,

[54] GIRDLE GRIPPING SURFACE [72] Inventors: Marvin Becker, 276 Newtown Turnpike, Wilton, Conn, 06897; Harold Belmuth, 8 Highwood Lane, Westport, Conn. 068 80 {22] Filed: Aug. 11, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 849,007

[52] U.S.Cl ..l28/535 [5l1 Int. Cl ..A4lc H00 [58] Field of Search ..128/534-535, 157, 128/519, 521, 541-542; 2/67-68, 159, 164-168 [56} References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,253,599 5/1966 Bjom-Larsen ..l28/528 3,465,757 9/1969 Barg ....l28/535 3,478,748 1l/1969 Bjom-Larsen ..128/535 Feb. 1, 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,506,507 11/1967 France ..l28/535 Primary Examiner--Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-J. H. Wolfe Attorney-Myron Amer [5 7] ABSTRACT 1 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures GIRDLE GRIPPING SURFACE The present invention relates generally to a stocking gripping surface for a girdle or like garment, and more particularly to an improved gripping friction surface that readily lends itself. to being applied to the girdle panels prior to the sewing attachment of these panels to each other during the construction of the garment.

The present trend is away from stocking garters. Instead, there isprovided a girdle-attached friction surface or construction to grippingly engage the stockings to prevent their falling during normal use and activity. A typical known friction surface consists of a continuous latex depositwhich forms a ring or band, essentially like a garter, which is contracted or snapped about the upper stocking portion. This latex or elastomeric surface is typically deposited on a pair of lace bands which are then sewn about the respective leg openings of the completed garment. While this known and popular friction surface or construction is generaliy satisfactory, it is in essence merely a girdle-attached garter and, as such, does not result in any significant savings in costs over a separate or unattached garter.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved stocking gripping construction for a girdle overcoming the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object to provide a friction surface formed by a spaced arrangement of gripping deposits which is readily applied to the girdle panels in the flat and which applied surface does not interfere with handling and sewing attachment of the panels incident to completion of the garment. The application of the friction surface to the girdle during its manufacture, and particularly the application to the easy-to-handle flat girdle panels significantly reduces handling and manufacturing costs.

A girdle gripping surface demonstrating objects and advantages of the present invention includes an array of smallmass or dots of latex applied directly to the stretch fabric girdle panels, such application being more particularly along the depending marginal edge of the leg portions on the surfaces thereof which bound the leg openings. The spacing between the deposits permits unrestricted stretching of the panels and also contributes to the facilitated subsequent sewing of the panels into the completed garment. The deposits, unlike a garter or continuous friction band, do not physically frictionally engage the stockings as much as they project through the stocking interstices and, in this manner, prevent falling movement of the stocking.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with'the accompanying drawings, wherein;

FIG..I is a perspective view illustrating the contemplated manner of wearing the girdle garment hereof and of the functioning of its gripping surface to hold the wearer's stockings-in place;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, on an enlarged scale, in section taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. I which further shows the stocking-gripping functioning of the gripping surface according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the gripping surface hereof from another viewpoint; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational-view, in section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3, illustrating. a typical shape of a typical gripping deposit according to the present invention.

Reference is made to the drawings wherein there is shown a conventional elastomeric girdle, generally designated 10, which includes, on each ofthe depending leg portions 12 and 14, an improved stocking-gripping construction, generally designated I6. That is, each gripping construction 16 is located on the inner surface of the depending leg portions 12 and 14 which respectively bound the leg openings 18 of the garment. In this advantageous position, each gripping construction 16 is thus in a facing relation to the stockings 20 being worn by the user and which stockings are in an interposed position between each gripping construction 16 and a leg 22 of the user. Although the use of gripping constructions on the depending leg portions of an elastomeric girdle, such as the girdle I0 hereof, is not new, the gripping construction 16 hereof is radically different from any gripping construction heretofore used and as a consequence provides several noteworthy advantages,all as will be now described in detail.

In contrast to known gripping constructions, gripping construction is embodied directly on the panels which make up the girdle 10 rather than being added to the completed garment. That is, assuming that the girdle I0 hereof is made up of front and rear panels 24, 26 which are joined at opposite side seams 28, the gripping construction 16 is readily added to the panels 24 and 26 while these panels are in the flat and before the application of the seams 28 which form the body of the girdle. As already noted, each. gripping construction 16 is applied to that portion of the panels which constitute the leg portions IZand 14 of the garment, and more particularly are applied to the inner surface thereof which bound the leg openings 18 in the completed garment.

As is perhaps best shown in FIG. 3, each gripping construction 16 consists of a dispersion or spaced arrangement of a plurality of deposits, individually and collectively designated 30, of a latex, elastomeric or plastic. In a preferred embodiment, the deposits 30 are spaced a quarter inch apart and each is approximately a thirty-second of an inch wide and high. It has been found that elastomeric material will bond itself in the interstices of the girdle panels 24, 26 and, in this manner, have a good adherance to these panels. Yet, the elastomeric panels can freely stretch because of the spacing between the deposits 30. Additionally, it also has been found that the contraction of the leg portions 12 and 14 about the wearers legs 22, while the upper'portions of the stockings 12 are in an interposed position between the gripping constructions l6 and the wearers legs, results in a firm gripping engagement of the stockings by each leg portion gripping construction 16. As illustrated in FIG. 3, this gripping engagement is attributable to a significant number of the deposits 30 being projected through aligning interstices 32 of the stockings 20. Although in the illustrated embodiment the stockings 20 are not a fine mesh, the gripping construction 16 would function in the manner described even if they were of fine mesh except that a lesser number of deposits 30 would project through each stocking interstice. Thus even with a fine stocking mesh, it is contemplated that each deposit 30 will nevertheless be suffrciently small to project through the stocking interstices against the wearer's legs. In this projected position, the deposits 30 function in an obvious way to prevent downward sagging movement of the stockings. Even where the elastomeric deposit comes in contact with a stocking yarn rather than being projected through an interstice between the yams, the elastomeric material of the deposit functions effectively as a friction surface to also prevent sagging movement of the stocking. The foregoing is achieved without causing any discomfort to the wearer because the elastomeric deposits 30 are relatively soft and are not uncomfortable when pressed against the wearers legs.

From the foregoing it should be readily appreciated that there has been described herein a noteworthy stockinggripping construction, in the fonn of the dispersion of deposits 30. Among other advantageous features, the gripping construction l6 comprised of the dispersion of elastomeric deposits 30 is readily applied to the girdle panels, while these panels are in the flat, and prior to the sewing operations which result in a completed garment. This patterned elastomeric deposit can be made in any number of ways, the preferred manner being by direct stenciling of the deposits 30 onto the panels 24, 26. As shown in FIG. 3, the resulting dispersion preferably should take the fonn of a horizontally oriented band 34 located on the inner surface of the leg portions 12, 14 and thus in a position encircling each of the legs of the wearer,

somewhat like a garter except that, of course, the leg portions 12 and R4 are an integral part of the garment l and are applied at a convenient early stage in the manufacture of the garment.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

l. A gripping construction for a girdle or like garment having elastomeric depending leg portions bounding the leg openings of said garment, said gripping construction comprising plural conically shaped gripping deposits adhered to said elastomeric leg portions, each said deposit being one thirtysecond inch high and one thirty-second inch in diameter at its plane of adherence to said elastomeric leg portion and said deposits further being dispersed one-quarter inch apart in staggered relation in alternate rows over the inner face of each said elastomeric leg portion so as to permit expansion and contraction of said elastomeric leg portion in the areas between each of said gripping deposits, said deposits being sized to result in the projection thereof through an aligning interstice of a stocking portion interposed between said gripping construction and the users leg, whereby a significant gripping engagement is maintained during normal activity of the user between said gripping construction and said underlying portion of said stocking. 

1. A gripping construction for a girdle or like garment having elastomeric depending leg portions bounding the leg openings of said garment, said gripping construction comprising plural conically shaped gripping deposits adhered to said elastomeric leg portions, each said deposit being one thirty-second inch high and one thirty-second inch in diameter at its plane of adherence to said elastomeric leg portion and said deposits further being dispersed one-quarter inch apart in staggered relation in alternate rows over the inner face of each said elastomeric leg portion so as to permit expansion and contraction of said elastomeric leg portion in the areas between each of said gripping deposits, said deposits being sized to result in the projection thereof through an aligning interstice of a stocking portion interposed between said gripping construction and the user''s leg, whereby a significant gripping engagement is maintained during normal activity of the user between said gripping construction and said underlying portion of said stocking. 